


Famous Last Words

by ACuckoo



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-04
Updated: 2014-12-04
Packaged: 2018-02-28 02:49:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2716139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ACuckoo/pseuds/ACuckoo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During the time of the Great Depression America desperately needs a friend to remind him that it's not over for him yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Famous Last Words

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this years ago! It's not as good as I remember XD XD But I don't want to change it or edit it because I want to leave it original. But it's here and I hope people like it!

 

The once loud and bustling streets were now silent and lonesome. It wasn't too long ago that flappers, drunkards, young lovers, and rambunctious teenagers filled the streets with their laughter and shouting. All of that was gone in the blink of an eye.

Alfred walked the down the desolate streets, his own laughter escaping his mouth. He didn't know why he was laughing. He couldn't control it. He only laughed harder as it started pouring heavy rain. He wandered along with no destination, his thoughts a jumbled and incoherent mess. He covered his face with his hands and slid to the ground, his laughter dwindling down to small giggles and then to nothing.

"What have I done?"

He sat in the rain and tried to figure this whole thing out. Where did he go wrong? What was the turning point and how did he not realize it was coming? This wasn't just a tiny mistake; the entire world was suffering and it was all his fault.

"It's all my fault. It's really all my fault."

After working so hard to become independent and proving to the world that he was a force to be reckoned with, Alfred now had to face the fact that he threw the world into economic turmoil and would be lucky to get out of it alive.

"Alfred?"

Alfred snickered. "Great. Now I'm hearing things," he said without taking his hands away from his face.

"Alfred!"

The young nation jumped at the feel of someone roughly grabbing his shoulder. He stared at the hand for a moment before following the arm up to the owner's face. He found himself staring into the eyes of his former mentor, Arthur.

"I'm so glad I found you." Arthur said, giving a heavy sigh of relief. "Are you all right?"

It took Alfred a few moments to register what Arthur had said. He blinked a few times before nodding slowly, a small and forced smile appearing on his face. "Of course I'm all right! Never better!"

Arthur scowled as he resisted the urge to punch his friend in the face. Now was not the time for Alfred to be acting strong. Doing that would only serve to cloud his judgment and possibly cause him to make even more bad decisions.

"Why are you out here?" Arthur asked him, better observing the scenery of the empty street.

"Where else is there to go?" Alfred asked him back, the smile never leaving his face.

Arthur just shook his head and stood up, grabbing Alfred by the arm and forcing him to stand with him. "We need to get out of this rain. Come on. I managed to find a hotel and I'm staying there for now. You're coming with me."

Alfred hid the shock of hearing that all of the hotels in the area hadn't already closed down. He had seen several hotels close and more than a few businesses close down as well.

As they walked they had passed many people who had been forced to leave their homes and live on the streets. Men, women, and children were huddled together to keep each other warm in the cold rain, all of them hoping and praying for this catastrophe to end. Alfred hid his face as he walked passed them. He was too ashamed to look at his people. It was he who had caused this and now they were paying the price.

Alfred was reluctant to walk into the hotel after just seeing all those people who wouldn't have beds to sleep in. Even though the hotel wasn't grand it was still more than what most of these people had.

Arthur could feel Alfred's hesitation as they approached the hotel, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. He dragged the younger country along and though he could sense how upset he was he forced him inside. Arthur took a deep breath, glad to finally be out of the rain. He motioned for Alfred to follow him and together they walked up the stairs and down the hall to Arthur's hotel room.

"I'll get us some towels." He said when they were inside the room.

Alfred nodded, though he ignored his friend and walked straight to the windows of the room. He looked outside and could see more people sitting in the rain. His heart sank as he thought that those poor people should be in the warm hotel room, not him. He was about to touch the glass when suddenly the curtains blocked his view of the city. He looked next to him to see it was Arthur who drew the curtains. He silently held up a towel to the young country, hoping he wasn't too proud to accept his kind gesture.

"Thanks," Alfred said as he took it.

"You can borrow some of my clothes since the ones you're in now are soaking wet. I'm going to change too." Arthur said as he walked away to his suitcase full of clothing.

"Oh, no thanks. I'll be fine in these."

The thunder roared outside as Arthur shook his head and tossed clothes in Alfred's direction. "You're changing! You'll get sick if you stay in those wet clothes."

"Why are you even here?" Alfred snapped, mistaking Arthur's concern for scolding. "Don't you have something to be doing back at your house?"

Arthur's stomach churned as Alfred said that. What a vile, insulting, and unappreciative thing to say! His upper lip shook and his breathing got harder as he stalked towards the other country and roughly snatched away the towel he had just given him.

"How dare you," Arthur said in a small voice. He glared into Alfred's eyes with all of the anger and hurt he could muster. "How...dare...you... Do you honestly think I don't have something better I could be doing?" The normally calm Brit was now yelling, almost screaming. "I could be home trying to fix the economic mess you caused but no! I'm came here to check on you and see how you were doing. I came as soon as I could. I came as soon as I was sure my people would be all right in my absence. I was worried about you so I dropped what I was doing and came here and this is the thanks I get!"

Alfred stared at Arthur, regretting what he had said. He almost forgot he wasn't the only one with problems. Arthur was one of the countries going through the same thing he was, yet he took the time out to come and see him. He had spent the money (the precious and scarce money) to come to America and even rent a hotel room, all just to check on his friend.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Arthur."

"You're damn right you're sorry!" Arthur yelled, shoving the towel into Alfred's chest. He walked away and began to unbutton his shirt. Alfred sat on the small couch that sat against the wall, staring into nothing as the most horrible emotions took him over.

"I'm so, so sorry."

A sigh came from Arthur as he stopped unbuttoning his shirt to pinch the bridge of his nose. "It's all right, Alfred," he said in a low voice.

Alfred shook his head. "It's all my fault. I'm the reason everyone is poor and hungry. I'm the reason families lost their homes, their jobs, their livelihoods! But, I mean...I'm America! I can fix this. I can fix this. I can fix this..."

Arthur turned to stare at his friend. The broken man in front of him was almost unrecognizable as the once proud America. Arthur had watched Alfred grow and prosper into a rich and vibrant country. There were plenty of hardships that stood in the way, but the young nation overcame them all and stood proudly. However, now it seemed that this obstacle had conquered and defeated Alfred.

"It's not your fault," Arthur said as he sat down on the couch next to his friend.

"Yes, it is," Alfred said with a bitter laugh.

"The problem just originated here. You didn't cause the whole issue," Arthur said, trying his best to cheer his friend up.

"The whole world is suffering and it's my fault. I did something wrong and my friends are paying the consequences. I'll fix it though! I promise you I'll make everything right again!"

"Alfred, please..."

"I just...I don't...I don't know how." Alfred said, his voice cracking.

Arthur shook his head as he put his arm around Alfred's shoulder. "No crying now," he said gently. "There's no crying in economics and politics. You know that."

Alfred turned his body so he could hide his face in Arthur chest. He desperately grabbed a hold of Arthur's unbuttoned shirt and clung to it like he would never let go.

"I ruined everything. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I'm sorry."

Arthur bit his bottom lip and took a deep breath, trying to hide how much he wanted to cry simply because his best friend was so distraught. "Things will get better. You've overcome so many trials before this. This won't be the thing to do you in, Alfred."

"I should have just stuck with you," Alfred said between his tears. "I should have never become independent."

Arthur snorted. "Now you regret that decision?" He decided to be a bit more considerate towards Alfred's feelings. Sarcasm wasn't needed right now. "As much as it hurt me that you left," Arthur started. "You are an excellent country. You fought hard for your place as an independent nation and worked to make the entire world recognize you as a powerful entity. Your people are proud to live with you and are arrogant simply because they can say 'I am American.' It takes a lot to make people love you that much, doesn't it?"

"But...I..."

"And tomorrow, lad, you're going to stand up and start getting things back on track! You'll get your arrogant, obnoxious self back into your office and sort this out." Arthur touched Alfred under his chin and brought his face upwards to be eye level with his own. He rested his forehead against his friend's and smiled. "It'll take a while. This is no easy fix, however we're all going to help each other out. We'll do what we can to make things right again. This isn't the end for you, Alfred. This isn't the end for any of us."

Arthur wanted to cry aloud with joy as Alfred actually gave him a genuine smile. He could see in the young nation's eyes that he was still hurt and even still a little shook up, but there was a new resolve as well. Alfred was ready to stand up as the prideful nation he was, take responsibility, and get things back to the way they were. Arthur had never felt more proud of him.

"Now change!" Arthur said, standing up. "We're both still soaking wet. Ugh, we might catch cold."

"Hey..."

The older nation turned back to Alfred, curious as to what else he could possibly have to say.

"Thank you."

 


End file.
